NEW YORK - Three teams are in the quarterfinals, only three teams are out - leaving 10 other clubs still in contention for the five remaining berths in the knockout round of the CONCACAF Champions League.
With one round of matches remaining in the Group Stage, numerous scenarios could lead to teams finishing tied on points, which would have to be broken according to the Champions League regulations.
Article 2, Paragraph 3 specifies how teams are to be ranked, should two or more finish with the same number of points.
• Greater number of points earned in matches between the teams concerned
• Greater goal difference in matches between the teams concerned
• Greater number of goals scored away from home in matches between the teams concerned
• Reapply first three criteria if two or more teams are still tied
• Greater goal difference in all group matches
• Greater number of goals scored in group matches
• Greater number of goals scored away in all group Matches
• Drawing of lots
Pachuca from Group A, Cruz Azul from Group C and Pumas from Group D all have claimed their places in the final eight. Metapan in Group A, Jabloteh in Group B and the Puerto Rico Islanders in Group C already have been eliminated. For everybody else, the scenarios are as follows:
Group A
• Houston / Arabe Unido: The two could tie with 10 points if Houston beats Metapan and Pachuca beats Arable Unido. In that case, Houston wins the tiebreaker four points to one in head-to-head results.
Group B
• D.C. United / Marathon: The two could tie with nine (9) or 10 points, in which case D.C. United would advance on head-to-head goal difference 4-3. The teams split their two meetings.
• Toluca / Marathon: Both could finish with 12 points, which would have Toluca finish ahead based on a head-to-head goal difference of 7-2. Each team won its home leg against the other.
• Toluca/Marathon/D.C. United: All three could finish with 12 points if D.C. beats Toluca and Marathon wins at Jabloteh. Each would have six points in games against the other two reducing it to goal difference in those games. Heading into the last round, Toluca has a plus-7 goal difference, D.C. a minus-1 and Marathon a minus-4. Since D.C. United must defeat Toluca for this scenario, it would have a better goal difference than Marathon among the three. That would leave Toluca and D.C. United finishing first and second, with the exact order depending on the score of their final match.
• D.C. United/Toluca: A D.C. victory over Toluca would leave both with 12 points. In that case, both would have won their match against the other away and goal difference in those games would decide the tiebreaker. If still tied, the greater number of away goals in the matches between the two would decide. Toluca leads in both categories with a plus-2 goal difference in the matches between the teams and has scored three away goals.
Group C
• Columbus / Saprissa: The two could tie with eight (8) points if Saprissa beats Cruz Azul and Columbus draws with Puerto Rico. Columbus therefore would advance on head -to-head results, having won in Saprissa and drawn with the Costa Rican side at home.
Group D
• Real Espana / Comunicaciones: Both could finish tied with seven (7) or nine (9) points - but only if both win OR both draw their remaining matches. Both beat the other at home in their head-to-head meetings 2-0, requiring goal difference in all matches to decide between the two clubs. Heading into the final round, Comunicaciones leads that category minus-3 to minus-7.
• Comunicaciones / W Connection. If W Connection beats Real Espana and Comunicaciones draws with Pumas, the two would finish with seven points each. In that scenario, W Connection would advance on head-to-head goal difference (4-2) since Comunicaciones won 2-1 at W Connection, which won in Guatemala 3-0.
